Grant: Institute of Genetics Clinical Investigatorship Award

In 2008, it is reported that nearly half a million Canadians suffered from dementia. This number is expected to double to over a million by 2038, costing our society over $150 billion per year in health care expenditure. Recent advances and understanding of Alzheimer Disease (AD) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), two major types of dementia resulting in loss of brain function, holds promise for early detection, prevention, and treatments of these devastating conditions. While these discoveries provide important insights into the mechanisms of these diseases, genetic variations in the currently known genes account for less than half of the risk attributed to the development of dementia. On the other hand, a number of environmental risk factors such as head injuries, lower educational level, smoking, and other vascular health factors such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, all contribute to increase the risk of developing dementia over an individual's lifetime. We will conduct a program of studies using the detailed data collected from our clinical patient groups to the earliest symptoms that develop in patients with genetic forms of FTD. We will also analyze the relationships between various genetic and environmental risk factors and how they interact in the mechanisms that lead to AD and related dementias. In addition, we will use the newest genetic technology to effectively analyze families with a strong history of dementia to look for new genetic mutations responsible for these diseases. This will help us understand how the genetic and environmental factors interact together to cause dementia and will help us identify new treatment strategies. Our goal is to identify patients at the earliest stage of cognitive impairment in order to deliver effective therapies, which will ultimately improve the daily functioning and quality of life in our growing elderly population.